October 28, 2009

This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord proves true; – Psalm 18:30

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. The phrase, the way of God, is not here taken for his revealed will, but for his method of dealing towards his people. The meaning, therefore , is that God never disappoints or deceives his servants, nor forsakes them in the time of need, (as may be the case with men who do not aid their dependents, except in so far as it contributes to their own particular advantage,) but faithfully defends and maintains those whom he has once taken under his protection. But we will never have any nearness to God unless he first comes near to us by his word; and, for this reason, David, after having asserted that God aids his people in good earnest, adds, at the same time, that his word is purified. Let us, therefore rest assured that God will actually show himself upright towards us, seeing he has promised to be the guardian and protector of our welfare, and his promise is certain and in fallible truth. – John Calvin

Today is the big day when we celebrate John Calvin’s birthday! A ton is going in twitter and the internet as well as real life actual conference to commemorate the reformer. If you are American and don’t know much about Calvin, be sure to read this article about how we as American owe much to him for his shaping and influence of our live: America’s Debt to John Calvin by John Piper

June 18, 2009

“‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. – Jeremiah 3:15

There are three great gifts that God has given to His church. The first and obvious one is the cross, without which, there is no church. The second and third are closely related, Godly men who are led by the Holy Spirit to to shepherd the flock. The Holy Spirit is essential to every pastor as it brings them to close to God’s heart. John Calvin says on this verse, “We learn from this that the church cannot continue without having faithful pastors to show the way of salvation.” Let us never take for granted the Godly men that God has given to care for His people and guide them into greater spiritual maturity.

There are two attributes of a pastor that God mentions in this verse that are key for shepherds. First, the shepherd must have a heart for others, he can’t be self serving, but must give of himself to feed his flock. Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve, so to a pastor must give his life away to serve his people by feeding them through practical acts and preaching the word. The second characteristic of a pastor is to seek to grow in his knowledge and understanding of God’s word to pass onto others. The church cannot be the blind leading the blind. It is clear from the verse that a pastor is supposed to be one with wisdom. This isn’t just head knowledge, but also works itself out in his lifestyle that is informed by God’s Word.

The godly men that God has placed in the church need to know the appreciation of those that are under them. Charles Spurgeon once said, the greatest kindndess any man can do is to pray for me. The same is true for your pastor, be vigilant to pray for him. Your pastor has a very serious role of taking care of your spiritual life, so seek to take care of his wife and kids. Volunteering to babysit can mean a ton to a pastor with young kids. Speaking of your spiritual life, take your spiritual growth seriously, nothing encourages a pastor more than seeing fruit in his peple. Lastly, encourage him when he does a good message, does a great job of leading or counseling. Encourage him when he doesn’t do these things well and let him know things that you observed. It is very important that your pastor knows your thankfulness for him. For a more exhaustive list on how to show care for your pastor, please visit the website of Jollyblogger who gives an excellent treatment of this topic.

May 5, 2009

Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness – Titus 2:2

“Paul has good reason for summing up Christian maturity under the headings of faith, love, and endurance. By faith, we worship God, for we cannot pray or engage in any other godly exercise without faith. Love includes everything in the second half of the Ten Commandments. Patience is a seasoning for both faith and love, for without patience faith would not last long. Many things happen every day day, unworthy behavior or bad temper, which upset us so much that we would be quite unable to carry out the duties of love if patience did not sustain us.” – John Calvin.

April 15, 2009

9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. -1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

“For unless we are stirred up to the hope of eternal life, the world will quickly draw us to itself. As it is only confidence in the divine goodness that induces us to serve God, so it is only the expectation of final redemption that keeps us from giving way and losing heart. Let every one, therefore, who wants to persevere in the path of a holy life apply his whole mind to an expectation of Christ coming.” John Calvin

December 8, 2007

“Waiting for Christ teaches us to disdain the world, to mortify the flesh, and to endure the cross.”
“Waiting for the Redeemer is the only thing that sustains us in the warfare of the present life. This waiting requires endurance as we take up Christ’s cross.”

November 10, 2007

“9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

“For unless we are stirred up to the hope of eternal life, the world will quickly draw us to itself. As it is only confidence in the divine goodness that induces us to serve God, so it is only the expectation of final redemption that keeps us from giving way and losing heart. Let every one, therefore, who wants to persevere in the path of a holy life apply his whole mind to an expectation of Christ coming.” John Calvin

October 26, 2007

“It’s a humbling thought, isn’t it, to know that we are saved in spite of — certainly not because of — ourselves?” World on the Web

Lately I have been amazed by this old truth, a near and dear reality check that I need continually.

he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, – Titus 3:5

I come empty…I come bringing nothing…I come humbly amazed at the depths of grace and mercy that are at my disposal.

“Paul states they they have not in any way contributed to their own salvation. They have received this blessing solely through God’s mercy. From these words we see that we can bring nothing to God, but that he goes before us, through the initiative of pure grace, with no reference to any of our good deeds. For when he says not because of the righteous things we have done, he means that until God regenerates us we can do nothing but sin.” John Calvin